Texturized photographic print, method and apparatus

ABSTRACT

The texturized print includes an image matrix having spaced, molded surface indentations therein. In the method, the softened multi-layer emulsion surface of a photographic color print is pressed into contact with a texturized non-stick surface and hardened so as to mold indentations therein in conformance with the textured surface. In the apparatus, a press means has a textured Teflon surface adapted to be brought into contact with a softened, multi-layer emulsion of a photographic print, so as to mold the emulsion into conformance with the texture of the Teflon surface during the hardening of said emulsion.

Waited States ateiit 1191 Smith TEXTURIZED PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINT,

METHOD AND APPARATUS [76] Inventor: James McC. Smith, 6 B St., Adams,

Mass. 01220 [22] Filed: Dec. 29, 1969 [21] Appl. No.: 888,363

[52] US. Cl "95/1 1511 11111.0. ..G03d 15/06 [58] Field of Search ..95/l

[56] References Qited UNITED STATES PATENTS 725,525 4/1903 White.;..95/1 3,110,235 11/1963 Kinnard ..95/1

14 1 May 29, 1973 Primary Examiner-John M. Horan Attorney David R.Thornton and Francis J. Thornton [57] ABSTRACT 10 Claims, 4 DrawingFigures o6 o o o oa oboe obo -1 o oboooooo coop 0 0 0 O4 O5 oooboootoaoa0 poor o0 on on odob cacao 000000 o oooooooaoo .1

TIEXT UZIED FIIOTOG I, METHOD AND APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThis invention relates to texturized photographic prints and moreparticularly to texturized color photographic prints, apparatus andmethod for producing the same.

Texturized photographic prints are preferred, especially for portraits,because a texturized finish reduces gloss, softens pictorial details andproduces a shorter range of contrast. In the prior art, a texturizedfinish has been provided in multilayer emulsion paper used for colorprints by cold pressing the developed and dried print into contact witha textured surface. This results, however, in high stressing of theemulsions which crack them, producing a ragged. surface which shortensprint life and produces an unattractive effect.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the invention, thetexturized print comprises a support base carrying a photographic imagematrix, said image matrix having spaced molded surface indentationstherein. More specifically, the texturized print comprises a multi-layeremulsion photo print paper having molded, substantially stress-freeindentations in the outer surface of at least the outer layer of theemulsion without cracksor fissures in the surrounding emulsion.

The process of the invention comprises the steps of bringing a softened,developed multi-layer emulsion of a photographic print into contact witha textured nonstick surface, holding said emulsion under pressure incontact with said surface and hardening said emulsion to mold thetexture of said surface into said emulsion.

The apparatus of the invention comprises a support means for carrying aphotographic print, a press means mounted adjacent said support andadapted for'applying pressure to said print in cooperation with saidsupport means, and said press means having a texturized Teflon(polytetrafluoroethylene) surface member thereon.

In a preferred embodiment, the Teflon surface member includes a fibrousmaterial having a thin coating of Teflon which substantially conforms tothe undulations of the fibrous material and providesatextured surface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. I is a diagramatic plan view of aportion of a texturized color print magnified approximately 4.7 times;FIG. 2 is a diagramatic plan view. of a portion of the print shown inFIG. I, magnified approximately 15 times;

FIG. 3 is a greatly enlarged sectional view of a photo FIG. 4 is aperspective view of a texturizing apparatus in accordance with thepresent invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS print representative of thatshown in FIGS. 1 and 2; and

dents l8 and 20 are molded depressions which are formed in the printemulsion 22 during its transformation from a water-softened or gel stateto its hardened or dried state. In contrast to the prior art, thisprovides a true, three dimentional, textured surface, essentionallystress-free, and without cracks or fissures formed in the surroundingemulsion between indentations.

In a preferred embodiment, the texture pattern in the emulsion isweave-like in appearance and is formed by using a Teflon coated wovenmesh as a mold or embossing surface. As a result of the technique,indents l8 and 20 are elliptical in shape. Indents 18 are smaller andmore shallow than indents 20. The major axis of indents 18 are disposedsubstantially perpendicular to the major axis of indents 20. Thisprovides an attractive texture pattern. More importantly, however, thecon cave indentations tend to act as mirrors which provide minute focalpoints so as to further enhance picture detail.

It should be understood that the indentations of the completed print maybe provided by raising the surrounding emulsion rather than depressingindent areas. In actual practice, the original surface is generally bothraised at some points and depressed at adjacent points. Hence, the flatsurface portions shown in FIG. 3 do not necessarily represent theoriginal level of the emulsiom surface. Moreover, these areas will alsogenerally show some convexity depending upon the mold surface.

Many difierent mold or texturizing designs may be employed but, thenon-stick surface of Teflon must be present in order to avoid damage tothe wet, sticky color emulsions. While a mold made only of texturedTeflon may be employed, a thin coating of this material over a texturednon-yielding or hard base material, such as fiberglass, metal or thelike, is preferred. The base may take the form of a surface texturedplate as well as woven or non-woven fibers.

In a first step of the method of the invention, a print such as thatshown in FIGS. l-3, is formed by bringing the print emulsion 22, whileit is in a watensoftened or non-hardened state, into contact with anirregular or nodose, non-stick surface of Teflon. Pressure is thenapplied to the print and the emulsion is hardened to cast or mold thetexture of the mold surface into the emulsion.

In the preferred method, a still wet, developed print is dried with itsemulsion in pressure contact with a thin Teflon sheet filled with a webof woven fiberglass. For example, a sheet having a thin Teflon surfacecoating approximately 0.002 inch thick on woven fiberglass is suitable.Theweave of the fiberglass is a plain square weave, e.g. 24 strands perinch, employing fiberglass strands of about 0.005 inch in diameter. Eachstrand is multi-filar. Sheets having too fine a weave or too thickasurface coating of Teflon, such that'the weave texture no longerprovides an uneven outer surface, will not be suitable.

As shown in FIG. 4, a press 30, having upper and lower supporting plates32 and 34, may be employed in the wet texture molding of photographicprints. At least one plate, e.g. plate 34, carries a Teflon surfacesheet 36 having exposed surface 38 which is patterned with ridges ordepressions, or both. Preferably sheet 36 is a fibrous material having asurface coating of Teflon such as that described above. Plates 32 and 34are joined on each side by a pivotably mounted cam hinge 40.. An arm 42connects the upper plate to each cam 40. Handle 44 is mounted betweenthe extended ends of arms 42. The press is closed by moving handle 44forward and downward such that cams 40 maintain the press in a closedposition.

In operation, a conventional color photographic print is placed in press30 while its emulsion is in a wet state. For example, the print isplaced in the press immediately following the developing process andprior to drying. The emulsion side of the print is placed face down onsurface 38 and press 30 is closed and locked. This sandwiches the printbetween plates 32, 34 and forces the print emulsion into conformancewith surface 36. Press 30 is then maintained in its pressure or lockedstate until the emulsion becomes hardened. The hardening can, of course,occur at room temperature, however, the process can be accelerated byheating the press to a temperature of up to about 200 degrees F. In anycase, this operation molds the surface texture of sheet 36 into theprint emulsion.

Since the texturizing operation is a true molding or casting, that is,the texture surface is formed by hardening the emulsion in contact witha mold, very low stress is transferred to either emulsion 22 or itssupporting base 24. Hence, in contrast to prior art dry texturizing, thefinished print is essentially stress and crack free, and any tendency tocurl, etc. is diminished, even when plastic base prints are employed.The technique of the present invention results in a substantially nodosesurface in the surface of the print, i.e. one having a plurality ofprotuberances and recesses which form the texturing indentations. Thetexturing may also be achieved by a mold having depressed'areas orindents, that is, an intaglio surface, so as to provide raised portionsof the emulsion.

What is claimed is:

1. A method of texturizing a developed color print comprising the stepsof bringing a softened, multi-layer emulsion of a photographic printinto contact with a polytetrafluoroethylene member having a texture-likesurface, applying pressure to said print to force said emulsion toconform to the texture-like configuration of said surface, and hardeningsaid emulsion under said pressure so as to mold said emulsion inconformance with said texture-like surface.

2. The method of claim 1 including the step of water softening saidemulsion prior to contact with said texture-like surface, and dryingsaid print while under said applied pressure so as to harden saidemulsion.

3. Apparatus for texturizing a photographic print comprising apolytetrafluoroethylene member having a nodose surface, means forbringing said surface onto contact with the emulsion surface of saidprint and holding it therewith so as to mold said emulsion intoconformance with the nodose configuration thereof.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said means includes a pair ofsupport members configured to receive a photographic print therebetween,at least one of said members carrying said polytetrafluoroethylenemember, and said means additionally including means for bringing saidsupport members together to force said surface into said contact withsaid emulsion.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said support members aresubstantially flat plates adapted to sandwich a photographic printtherebetween, said polytetrafluoroethylene member being a thin sheetwhich is carried on the planar surface of one member, and said pressingmeans includes a latch means for holding said support plates in a closedposition.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said polytetrafluoroethylene memberis a thin coating in conformance with a comparatively less yieldableunderlying texture member.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said underlying member isfiberglass.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said underlying member is a thinmesh of fibrous material. I

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said fibrous material is fiberglass.

10. A textured photographic color print comprising a multi-layeremulsion print having a texture-like emulsion surface formed byhardening said emulsion in contact with a polytetrafluoroethylene memberhaving a texture-like surface.

2. The method of claim 1 including the step of water softening saidemulsion prior to contact with said texture-like surface, and dryingsaid print while under said applied pressure so as to harden saidemulsion.
 3. Apparatus for texturizing a photographic print comprising apolytetrafluoroethylene member having a nodose surface, means forbringing said surface onto contact with the emulsion surface of saidprint and holding it therewith so as to mold said emulsion intoconformance with the nodose configuration thereof.
 4. The apparatus ofclaim 3 wherein said means includes a pair of support members configuredto receive a photographic print therebetween, at least one of saidmembers carrying said polytetrafluoroethylene member, and said meansadditionally including means for bringing said support members togetherto force said surface into said contact with said emulsion.
 5. Theapparatus of claim 4 wherein said support members are substantially flatplates adapted to sandwich a photographic print therebetween, saidpolytetrafluoroethylene member being a thin sheet which is carried onthe planar surface of one member, and said pressing means includes alatch means for holding said support plates in a closed position.
 6. Theapparatus of claim 3 wherein said polytetrafluoroethylene member is athin coating in conformance with a comparatively less yieldableunderlying texture member.
 7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein saidunderlying member is fiberglass.
 8. The apparatus of claim 6 whereinsaid underlying member is a thin mesh of fibrous material.
 9. Theapparatus of claim 8 wherein said fibrous material is fiberglass.
 10. Atextured photographic color print comprising a multi-layer emulsionprint having a texture-like emulsion surface formed by hardening saidemulsion in contact with a polytetrafluoroethylene member having atexture-like surface.